Daily Archives: 25. Dezember 2014


25.12.2014 - 15:55 [ Ynet ]

How democratic are Israeli elections?

This time around, at least nine of the parties contesting the election will not be holding any type of primary. In four of the parties – Livni’s Hatnua, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, Yair Lapid‘s Yesh Atid, and a new party formed by a charismatic former Likud member Moshe Kahlon, the party leaders will decide on the slate of candidates. In the ultra-Orthodox parties, it is a council of rabbis who chooses.

25.12.2014 - 15:53 [ Ynet ]

Rate of child poverty increased 55% in last 15 years

A report released on Thursday by the Israel National Council for the Child (NCC) noted that while a decrease was noted in the number of poor children in Israel in 2013, there was a 55 percent increase in child poverty overall in Israel over the past 15 years.
The report also noted a rise in the number of children suffering abuse, and placed Israel in first place for the risk of child poverty among OECD countries.

25.12.2014 - 15:09 [ San Diego Jewishb World ]

APN: U.S. should support French U.N. resolution

Americans for Peace Now (APN) on Wednesday reiterated its call on the Obama administration to support French-led efforts to gain consensus around a United Nations Security Council laying out terms of reference and a timeline for Israeli-Palestinian, two-state negotiations. APN urged the Obama administration to reject efforts to delay such a resolution until after Israeli elections (March 2015).

25.12.2014 - 15:05 [ Hurriyet ]

President Park Geun-hye’s Korean peninsula unification strategy

Pyongyang’s principal response to the model declared that such a vision was indicative of South Korea’s desire to annex North Korea rather than to unify with it. Again, it deserves mention that one of the reasons for such a reaction by Pyongyang stems from the fact that President Park revealed this proposal in an East German city that was annexed by West Germany.

25.12.2014 - 14:59 [ Yonhap (Südkorea) ]

Some N. Korean websites remain down

Since going down Monday evening, the website of the North‘s main propaganda organ, Uriminzokkiri, remained inaccessible as of early Wednesday.

The access to other well-known North Korean propaganda websites, including Ryugyong and Ryomyong, was also blocked as of Wednesday morning.

The Internet outage comes as speculation continued over who is responsible for the blockage.

25.12.2014 - 14:54 [ fatalist ]

DIE WAFFENTECHNISCHEN GUTACHTEN DES BKA TEIL 3: Weitere Erkenntnisse zur RADOM VIS 9 MM

Die Mehrzahl der auf der als Tatwaffe angenommenen Radom-Pistole gesicherten DNA-Spuren stammt von „berechtigtem Personal“. Als ob die Polizei berechtigt wäre, auf den von ihr gesicherten Gegenständen Spuren zu hinterlassen. Allein dieser Umstand ist schon skandalös.

Von entscheidender rechtlicher Bedeutung für das hier relevante Strafverfahren sind jedoch die folgenden drei speziellen Spuren:

Die DNA-Spur einer unbekannten Person (P1) am Abzugsbügel als vollständiges Muster.

Ein weiteres vollständiges Muster einer unbekannten Person (P1) im Bereich Verschluss/Schlitten.

Und schließlich noch ein DNA-Befund einer weiteren unbekannten Person (P4) am unteren Bereich des Griffs/Magazinboden.

DNA Spuren von Mundlos und Böhnhardt konnten nicht festgestellt werden.

Im Ergebnis bedeutet die Spurenlage, dass die letzte Person, die aus der Radom einen oder mehrere Schüsse abgegeben hat, weder Mundlos noch Böhnhardt gewesen sein kann.

25.12.2014 - 14:39 [ McClatchy ]

Yet no apology: CIA’s mistaken detention destroyed German man’s life

Masri’s case is one of the 26 instances detailed in the Senate Intelligence Committee report where the CIA snared someone in its web of secret dungeons by mistake, realized its error after weeks or months of mistreatment and questioning, then let them go. But the report, made public Tuesday, does not recount what that mistake meant to al Masri’s life.

“I was stunned by the torture report,” Gnjidic said. “They had known and privately admitted for years that they had made a mistake regarding Khalid,” who is a German citizen.

25.12.2014 - 14:37 [ Washington Post ]

Dick Cheney confirms it: Bush deserves blame for CIA torture

The former vice president said this to NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday:

„What happened was [the president] and I met every single morning with the director of the CIA, with the national security advisers six days a week and reviewed everything basically in the intelligence arena. … This man knew what we were doing. He authorized it, he approved it. A statement by the Senate Democrats for partisan purposes that the president didn’t know what was going on is just a flat-out lie.“

25.12.2014 - 14:13 [ Trend.az ]

Turkish court arrests 16-year-old student for insulting President Erdogan

The student, identified as M.E.A., who is a member of an online group called Democrat High School Students, attended a meeting organized on Dec. 23 to commemorate Lieutenant Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay, who was killed by a pro-sharia group in 1930 in the Aegean town of Menemen. M.E.A. reportedly made a press statement in the name of the group during the ceremony, citing the corruption probe in the speech.

25.12.2014 - 14:12 [ Trend.az ]

Turkey to be able to close Internet access without court order

Elvan said his ministry will be given a right to temporarily close the Internet access, as well as close the access to Internet resources, which are detected to have unsafe content, national security wise.

The ministry will be then able to apply to the court for the final closure of such resources.

It is also envisaged to introduce a fine of 500,000 TRY (or $215,592 as of Dec. 25), if the content is not removed from a website, following a warning.

25.12.2014 - 12:22 [ Zeit ]

Die kleinen Verräter

„Wenn wir etwas darüber erfahren wollen, wie sich Menschen im Alltag verhalten, dann müssen wir untersuchen, wie sie sprechen“, sagt auch der Psychologe Matthias Mehl von der University of Arizona. Er und seine Kollegen verfolgen nun eine neue Strategie: Sie analysieren nicht mehr, was wir sagen – sondern wie wir es tun. „Der Inhalt ist meist durch die Gesprächssituation schon festgelegt“, sagt Mehl. „Psychologisch gesehen ist er langweilig.“

25.12.2014 - 12:17 [ Radio Vatikan ]

Die Papstpredigt: Die Welt braucht mehr Zärtlichkeit

Der Ursprung der Finsternis, von der die Welt umhüllt ist, verliert sich in der Nacht der Zeiten. Denken wir an den dunklen Moment zurück, in dem das erste Verbrechen der Menschheit begangen wurde, als Kain, blind vor Neid, seinen Bruder Abel erschlug (vgl. Gen 4,8). So war der Lauf der Jahrhunderte gezeichnet von Gewalt, Krieg, Hass und Unterdrückung. Gott aber, der auf den Menschen seine Erwartungen setzte – er hatte ihn ja als sein Abbild und ihm ähnlich erschaffen –, er wartete. Er hat so lange gewartet, dass er an einem bestimmten Punkt eigentlich hätte aufgeben müssen. Aber er konnte nicht aufgeben, er konnte sich selbst nicht verleugnen (vgl. 2 Tim 2,13). Deshalb hat er geduldig weiter gewartet angesichts der Korruption von Menschen und Völkern.

25.12.2014 - 12:11 [ Spiegel ]

Der Schwarze Kanal: Aufmarsch der Netzverschwörer

(23.12.2014) Wir müssen dazu nur nach Dresden, Bonn oder Berlin schauen, wo jeden Montag Menschen ihrem Ärger Luft machen, die bei der Suche nach Informationen statt der von ihnen geschmähten „Mainstreampresse“ vorzugsweise Stellen im Netz vertrauen, die keinem etablierten Medium mehr zuzuordnen sind.

25.12.2014 - 12:06 [ Zeit ]

Fast jeder Zweite misstraut den Medien

(22.12.2014) In einer repräsentativen Umfrage von YouGov für ZEIT ONLINE unterstützten 47 Prozent der Befragten die Aussage, dass die Medien einseitig berichten und von der Politik gelenkt würden. 40 Prozent hingegen glauben, dass sie objektiv und unabhängig berichten.

25.12.2014 - 12:04 [ Heise.de ]

Infratest-Umfrage: Deutsche trauen Medien immer weniger

(17.12.2014) Bei anderen Themen haben die Deutschen noch etwas größeres Vertrauen in die Berichterstattung der Fernsehsender, Zeitungen und Zeitschriften: Beim Lokführerstreik haben fünf Prozent sehr großes und weitere 49 Prozent großes Vertrauen – die Skeptiker bilden hier zusammengerechnet lediglich eine Minderheit von 40 Prozent. Geht es um die islamistischen Menschenmetzger in Syrien und im Irak (von deren Taten die deutschen Fernsehsender keine drastischen Dokumente zeigen), misstraut dagegen eine Mehrheit von 53 Prozent den Medien.

25.12.2014 - 12:01 [ hydra-berlin.de ]

Sexarbeit/Prostitution in den Medien

19.00 – 21.15 Uhr
Fortsetzung der Arbeit vom Nachmittag
Anschließend in getrennten Gruppen
Prostitution/Sexarbeit in den Medien – Bilder im Kopf:
Journalisten_innen sehen die Sexarbeit (in Kleingruppen)
Sexarbeiter_innen und Mitarbeiter_innen der Fachberatungsstellen für Sexarbeiter_innen sehen die Medien (in Kleingruppen)

25.12.2014 - 11:57 [ Heise.de ]

Pro & Contra: Das „Recht auf Vergessen“ im Internet

(14.05.2014) Auch die EU-Juristen werden bald feststellen, dass es nicht reicht, Links zu unterdrücken. Der nächste Schritt wird dann sein, die Informationen selbst zu löschen. Zur Erinnerung: Wir reden über Informationen, die der Wahrheit entsprechen. Gegen die Verbreitung von Lügen gibt es längst adäquate Rechtsmittel.

25.12.2014 - 11:55 [ Süddeutsche ]

Die Deutschen und der Krieg in Libyen: Westerwelle vollzieht Kehrtwende bei Nato-Militäreinsatz

(28.08.2011) Bisher hatte Westerwelle es vermieden, den von Deutschland im UN-Sicherheitsrat nicht unterstützten Militäreinsatz zu würdigen. In seiner Partei hatte dies erneuten Unmut über den Ex-Parteichef ausgelöst, der sich im Mai zum Rücktritt von der FDP-Spitze gezwungen sah. Westerwelle war aus Reihen seiner FDP vorgeworfen worden, eine klare Würdigung des militärischen Beitrags zur Entmachtung von Libyens langjährigem Machthaber Muammar Gaddafi zu vermeiden.

25.12.2014 - 11:45 [ Techdirt ]

Videos From Wearable Cameras Contain Natural Biometric Markers That Can Eliminate Anonymity

Video evidence figures quite frequently here on Techdirt, because moving pictures of incidents are generally compelling and incontrovertible. That‘s true even if they are released anonymously to protect the person recording the event from retribution. But new research suggests that videos from wearable cameras have embedded within them natural biometric markers

25.12.2014 - 11:29 [ Mondo Weiss ]

‘Israel is becoming an isolated ghetto,’ says Amos Oz

In yesterday’s New York Times, on the front page of the review section, columnist Roger Cohen in Jerusalem offers a bleak prediction from novelist Amos Oz:

“There is a growing sense that Israel is becoming an isolated ghetto, which is exactly what the founding fathers and mothers hoped to leave behind them forever when they created the state of Israel.”

25.12.2014 - 11:04 [ Mondo Weiss ]

Hillary Clinton’s decision to support Iraq war was driven by Israel concern, Chris Matthews says

In the last week, two conversations on television suggest that the idea that the Iraq war was undertaken because of concern for Israel’s security is now conventional wisdom among the chattering classes.

First there was a discussion about foreign policy at the Center for American Progress on December 15, aired later on CSPAN, in which James Mann, the scholar and author, said that Obama had set out to be an old-style realist, in the mode of Zbig Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft. The difference between him and the neocons was a question of the status of the Israel/Palestine conflict in considerations of how to get peace in the Middle East.

25.12.2014 - 10:57 [ Wall Street Journal ]

Israel Offers To Send Counterterrorism Experts to Nigeria

(11.05.2014) Israel has offered to send a team of counterterrorism experts to Nigeria to assist in the search for the 276 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists in the country‘s northeastern region last month.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, according to a statement from his office on Sunday, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the offer during a telephone conversation with him Sunday afternoon.

25.12.2014 - 10:53 [ Reuters ]

Rebel attacks in India kill 51, spark violent protests

The victims of the guerrilla attacks were mostly tea-plantation workers from other parts of India. Assam has a history of sectarian bloodshed and armed groups fighting for autonomy or secession.

Hundreds of plantation workers armed with spears and bows and arrows defied a curfew imposed in response to the rebel attacks and surrounded police stations in Sonitpur district, the area worst hit by the militant violence, saying authorities had failed to protect them.

25.12.2014 - 10:52 [ Times of India ]

Delhi‘s commandos never waste a bullet

(15.12.2014) When the SWAT team was founded in 2010, it received training from NSG and former Army commandos, but now, after training at Delhi Police Training School in Jharoda Kalan (southwest Delhi), they learn advanced skills from Israel‘s counter-terror and intelligence unit, Mossad.

25.12.2014 - 10:49 [ zeenews.india.com ]

Rajnath Singh arrives in Israel for crucial talks on security, terror

(06.11.2014) The Minister was in Monaco to attend Interpol‘s General Assembly.

Despite the unexpected change in Singh‘s plans, Israel has rolled out a red carpet welcome for him going out of the way to accommodate his revised schedule and the Prime Minister‘s Office here was quick to set up his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today evening.

25.12.2014 - 10:45 [ zeenews.india.com ]

India, Israel discuss counter-terrorism, homeland security

(29.08.2014) New Delhi: India and Israel on Friday discussed the implementation of agreement on counter-terrorism and homeland security between the two countries.

Israel‘s Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here. The ambassador told the Home Minister that Israel is looking forward to a meaningful cooperation with India in the area of homeland security. He said that the recently signed agreement is a step further in this direction.

25.12.2014 - 10:41 [ Keep Talking Greece ]

Were will the 180 votes for Greece’s next President will come from?

The second round of Presidential voting ended on Tuesday with candidate Stavros Dimas to have received 168 votes, far below the 200 needed. The votes came from the coalition Nea Dimokratia – PASOK (155) and 13 from independent MPs, among them two ex Golden Dawn.

2. round of voting – results:

Stavros Dimas 168

Present: 131

Absent 1

In the third round of voting, on 29. December 2014, the Presidential candidate will need only 180 votes to be elected.

25.12.2014 - 09:37 [ Voice of America ]

Somali Parliament Approves New PM

Sharmarke spent the last few months as Somalia‘s ambassador to the United States. Previously, he served as prime minister for 18 months in 2009 and 2010.

25.12.2014 - 05:19 [ Des Moines Register ]

Did religion or culture change to accept torture?

Recent polls show that American Christians support the CIA’s use of torture by a margin of over 2 to 1. And let’s not be so naive as to pretend, by the way, that this was not torture. We executed German and Japanese soldiers “just following orders” by using these same techniques during World War II, which cost the U.S. over 400,000 lives (and we were more fortunate than many other countries).